(MENAFN- AzerNews)
By Gabil Ashirov
Jingoist Armenian nationalists go the extra mile to axe the
peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia, which has never been
so close to the deal. The revanchist clique is trying every
possible way to achieve its goals without taking any lessons from
the past humiliating defeats in 2020 and 2023. They still believe
that proliferating lies could save them at the end of the day – the
lies that we know as fabrications of ostensible so-called
genocides, Armenian pogroms, and Armenophobia in Azerbaijan, but at
the end of the day, the truth was revealed, and the justice was
restored.
Deprived of all possible resources, Armenians are now engaged in
spreading baseless materials and disinformation on the Western
media about the destruction of the so-called Armenian cultural
heritage, which never existed.
It is clear that the material was prepared and circulated with
reference to the same centre, which transmits to all media in the
form of a thesis. Press agencies, which receive orders from only
one centre controlled by the Armenian lobby, print the materials in
a standardized way without any different research.
However, the media outlet in the Netherlands went further to
compare Azerbaijan, a country famous for its multiculturalism, with
ISIS. Besides, Azerbaijan has not only taken care of cultural
heritage in the country but also sponsored the restoration of
historic buildings throughout the world including Europe. So, I
condemn the rhetoric of nos and advise them to
go through the colonial history of the Netherlands instead of
conducting a smearing campaign against Azerbaijan.
As for the starkly distorted article, it reminds me of the style
of the Anti-Tom literature series. Like the said series, the lies
are so blunt that the author cannot hide them despite all his/her
efforts. Generally, we can divide the cultural heritages mentioned
in the article into three groups.
The first and most ridiculous cultural heritages are the
buildings belonging to the terrorist and separatist group that
called itself NKR. It is interesting: "In which country are the
symbols of separatists and invaders preserved as cultural
heritages?" Even today, after 160 years, the Confederate Flag is
prohibited in the USA. Besides, does the Netherlands preserve the
symbols of the Nazis, who invaded the country in the 1940s, as
cultural heritage? Surely, not. If neither the USA nor the
Netherlands allows displaying the symbols of separatism and
invasion why should Azerbaijan preserve them as cultural heritage?
If it is normal, let the Netherlands do it first.
The second cultural heritages mentioned in the so-called article
are churches that were built during the invasion. Frankly speaking,
as a citizen of Azerbaijan, I have never been interested in the
fate of any edifice built in Garabagh during the invasion. That is
why we do not know whether they have been deconstructed or not. But
here arises a question: "Can anyone construct, for example, a
mosque without permission in any part of the Netherlands? Or what
does the Dutch government do against such illegal constructions?"
Again, we are coming to the same point. i.e. some people in the
Netherlands are thinking that Azerbaijan cannot do the things which
can do the Netherlands. Let me remind you that Azerbaijan is not a
colony of the Netherlands. Azerbaijan has the right to do
everything according to national and international laws.
The third and last cultural heritage mentioned in the article is
the churches built in the Middle Ages. Obviously, the issue is a
little bit complicated. To understand the point, we should leaf
through the pages of history.
So, the first country in the territory of the present Azerbaijan
was Albania. The said country kept its existence until the Arab
invasions. Albania was the first to recognize Christianity as a
religion of the state. Present Garabag was the strategic territory
of Albania and the country built many churches in the region. Even
the first church assembly in the said country, which is called
Aquen Church Assembly, was conducted in Garabagh. Anyone can google
and find out the truth. However, the Arab invasion ended this state
and the population converted to Islam. Despite the Islamization of
the country, the Albanian church with its tiny community kept its
existence in Garabagh. After the Arabs, the Armenian Church eyed
the Albanian Church. The struggle between the two churches
continued until the Russian invasion in the XIX century. As is
known, following the invasion of the Caucasus, Tsar Russia settled
Armenians from Iran and Ottoman in Azerbaijani territories. In mid
of the 1830s, the head of the Armenian Church applied the Russian
Tsar on the issue. Russian Tsar not only abolished the Albanian
Church but also dispersed the Albanian community in Garabagh
throughout Azerbaijan.
In a nutshell, Armenia erased the Albanian heritage after
usurping the Albanian Church in Garabagh. Azerbaijan restored the
Albanian Church in the 2000s and after the 44-day Patriotic War,
Azerbaijan restored justice and returned the magnificence of the
Albanian churches to itself, to their lawful heirs, in Garabagh -
first to the community and then to all Azerbaijanis who are
progenies of Albans.
So, the destruction of any cultural heritage in liberated
Garabagh is out of the question. It is just a provocation of
Armenian jingoist nationalists. Azerbaijan was, is, and will be a
multicultural country. All people regardless of their nationality
and religion are living and will live in peace forever.
The opinions of outside forces are not important to us. We are
neither interested nor worried about their untrue opinions about
Azerbaijan. As the proverb says, the dogs bark but the caravan
moves on.
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